Newtown Girls Collect 100 Pounds Of Food For Those In Need

NEWTOWN, PA — Two young Newtown residents collected more than 100 pounds of food to help their neighbors during the coronavirus pandemic.

The girls, Piper and Delanie, organized a food drive in the Raintree neighborhood in late April. The food was delivered to the Emergency Relief Association - Food Pantry of Lower Bucks County.

Piper, a 7-year-old who attends Goodnoe Elementary, came up with the idea from her teacher on a Zoom session during the pandemic, according to her father, Jonathan Avidan.

"Her teacher mentioned donating to a local food pantry and Piper told us (her parents) how she wanted to do something in our neighborhood to help those dealing with Covid. We designed some flyers and printed them at the local Staples in Newtown. We decided to donate to the ERA in Levittown since the Food Bank was local and it was the same one her teacher recommended," he explained in a message to Patch.

Piper and her sister, Delanie, spent the week before hanging flyers all over Raintree. They put them on the mailboxes and common areas.

"We could not believe the response. So many people wanted to help and had no idea how. This was a great outlet for them. We set up a table with balloons at the Raintree pool area and the girls made sure to wave and thank everyone that came. Word spread and Goodnoe teachers came by, the girls' friends from other neighborhoods, many Raintree neighbors and even family from Bensalem and Langhorne," Avidan said.

The girls received a thank you letter from Nancy Shanberg, the pantry coordinator. Shanberg expressed her gratitude and invited the girls to visit the pantry once the pandemic subsides.

Great job, girls!

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 54 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.